Carl Froch will make the first defence of his IBF super-middleweight title in Nottingham on November 17, but the opponent will now only be named next week.

The identity of Froch's next opponent was expected to be revealed on Monday, but this has now been put back until a week on Tuesday.

The delay is believed to be because Froch's promoter is struggling to secure a suitable opponent for the contest - with reports suggesting talks with the likes of Mikkel Kessler and Thomas Oosthuizen have failed to reach fruition.

The Cobra, a three-time world champion, blew Lucian Bute away within five rounds to win the IBF strap in May, and he will return to the scene of his triumph when he attempts to maintain his winning run at the Capital FM Arena in his home town - before a contractually-obliged rematch with Bute in Montreal next spring.

"The Bute fight night will go down in history as one of the greatest nights in British boxing history," said Froch's promoter Eddie Hearn.

"Carl is chomping at the bit to get back into the ring and feel the roar of the Nottingham fans that he loves so much."